Facebook improves automotive inventory ads

The automotive inventory ads designed for the automobile industry will now be available on the mobile-optimized shopping experience on Facebook.

With the mobile-optimized shopping experience, advertisers will be able to drive leads through Facebook Messenger, along with phone calls, and in-person visits, through automotive inventory ads.

The users who click on these ads will land on a Vehicle Detail Page (VDP), a kind of auto dealer's virtual catalog, where users will find detailed information about the vehicles, and also find additional inventory.

Initially designed to reach potential consumers who do not have a footprint on the dealer's website, app, or store, the updates intended to improve the shopping experience also include premium ad slots and lead forms to qualify leads.

Also Read: Facebook is introducing ad limits per page

The new automotive inventory ads can be used by auto dealerships who sell new and used cars both. Presently, only a select number of advertisers can set up a catalog for an AIA catalog or campaign.

You can keep a track of the accessibility for setting up catalogs here, and for campaigns here.

If you do have access to setting up AIA, get started by following the following steps:

• Add the fb_page_ID field to vehicles in your AIA catalog via Catalog Manager or use your Marketplace catalog

• Then create a prospecting campaign with the ‘Product Catalog Sales’ objective, select your auto catalog and at the ad set level, choose ‘On-Facebook’ as the traffic destination

• Note that Facebook Messenger will be your default contact method. Advertisers outside the US and CA can choose lead form as the preferred option with additional catalog changes

• In ads reporting, you can track key campaign metrics such as 'On-Facebook ViewContent', 'OnFacebook Leads', 'Get Directions Clicks', and 'Phone Number Clicks'